


Travel Log

by ser_atlantisite



Category: The Penumbra Podcast
Genre: Drabble Collection, Hurt No Comfort, Other, fancy party heist, i put off finishing these so long so now these will be a parallel season 3
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-10-20
Updated: 2019-11-02
Packaged: 2020-12-24 10:10:35
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 2,388
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21097751
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ser_atlantisite/pseuds/ser_atlantisite
Summary: Juno and Peter and life on the crime ship.Chapter 1: a fancy party and old flamesChapter 2: some heartbreak





	1. A dance, a wish

**Author's Note:**

> most of these are going to be in some vague chronological order? just because i am Compelled to but they are all just one shot drabbles.
> 
> Chapter one has mentions of someones panic attack after a loud noise.

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> My obligatory heist-at-a-dance fic. To goo with my golden-eye juno art

From junos place by the ugly naked statues he had a perfect view of Vespas perch on the balcony, and her sudden frown down at the ballroom. She did a double take through her green-tinted sunglasses (_Real things look green,_ she had said, _hallucinations stay the same_), and leaned into the mic in her cuff-link.

_'Someone's spotted you, Steel. heading straight for you on your six. Built like a Greek god. Ten meters and closing.'_

"Aw how'd you know my type, Vee?" Juno quipped. And then remembered this was a group call. _Dammit, Steel._

_'Every one stay calm,'_ Buddy drawled. _'Dear what are the odds they just want a dance from our lady?'_

_'I can't tell, she looks - '_

"Steel!"

Juno froze - not in horror for once, just plain old shock. Despite extensive coaching in recent days to not respond to his real name when undercover, Juno turned around. "Strong?"

Alessandra Strong and her big, clever eyes gawked at him, and, hell, she even smiled. Most people who dodged through a crowd to yell at him were a lot angrier. Then she swept him into a hug that was one part military-choke-hold and two parts grizzly bear. Feet off the ground and everything. It took Juno a long-ass second to realize what was happening, pressed into Alessandra's shoulder, and another to figure out what to do--should he hug her back?--but she was already setting him down.

"Hi...?"

"Sorry," she said with a laugh, "it's just. You're alive."

"Oh... yeah. I-I tried to call you -"

"Yeah, I got the message. Eventually." She sighed, tired, but her smile stayed all the same. "Seeing is different, is all."

"Oh. Look, Strong I'm sorry about that...just...all of it. I should have listened to you, I-I -"

She held up hand to stop him. "Yes, you should have. Apology accepted, Steel." Her stance relaxed a bit. "You kept living. I have absolutely _no idea_ how, but you did. Never do that to me again, understand?." Her tone was firm, but gentle. And the future tense threw him - normally this was where people swore him off forever. But her gaze was steady as she added, "I'm serious Juno."

"I, uh, yeah I...am. Working on that, a-actually." _Was it getting warmer in here?_ Juno tugged at his collar but Alessandra didn't seem uncomfortable. Her serious face gave way to a small smile. Like she was proud of him or something. He coughed and looked away for a second. "You clean up nice, detective."

"Not too bad yourself, Steel."

"Jones. Cerys Jones." She quirked a brow at him and he leaned in a little. "After...everything, with my last job I just...needed a breather." Nureyev would be proud of that lie. Quick and confident and even technically true.

"Sure." She frowned and gave the stink eye to his shiny new prosthetic.

"Oh, no this one's just for decoration. I can show you if you don't -"

"NOPE I believe you, thanks. Ass," she chuckled, and he couldn't help his own smile either. "That's not actually solid gold, is it? I know this party's full of rich people with no sense but..."

"Look I didn't pick the outfit, I was coerced into being a plus one." Her smirk said she'd like to meet whoever wrangled Juno Steel into dressing up. Juno scoffed. "Oh shut up."

"I didn't say anything!"

"Yeah well, What's your excuse? Why are you dancing with the point oh one percent?"

She sighed. "Can't pretend to have a benefit for war vets without having a few actual vets to throw around. This crowd's mostly _officers_," she said that like the words tasted bad, "but apparently us two lowly grunts had enough of a tragic love-story that we made the guest list."

"Seriously? You agreed to being the centerpiece?"

"...He bribed us with donations to charity."

"Ah. Wait, we? Is your fiancee here?"

"Of course she is!" chimed a new voice. A woman with more scars than Juno, and a suit in colours contrasting her fiancee's, leaned around Strong. "And she's been just dying to talk to someone who isn't a rich twad. Sandy, introduce us. Please, I'm begging you."

+

Peter remembered Detective Alessandra Strong. Miasma had hired her when Peter failed to get the pill. And then Miss Strong had bravely rescued Juno after he had swallowed that same pill.

And kissed him after he had recovered.

Miasma's tail on Juno in that hospital had seen her storm off, but hadn't heard their conversation. Now, she and her companion were standing in Juno's space, close enough to sweep him off his feet again. And he was looking at her with the most relaxed expression Peter had ever seen on the detective.

Never once had Juno looked like that in Peter's presence. On Buddy's ship, for the first time the two of them could just _be_ in each others' presence without danger, without fear, but. But Juno hunched in on himself whenever Peter entered the room, stuttered on whatever he was saying and lost steam. They spoke to each other, were even cordial, but seeing the warmth in the detective's half smile, uncertain as it was, and turned to someone else...

It felt like intruding, like seeing things through a window on the streets of Brahma when he was small and alone. He had quite literally dreamt of that kind of soft smile on Juno's face, and here the lady was finally _finally_ back in his life but still that warmth was out of his reach. The three of them were moving towards the edges of the room and Peter felt like he was drowning in the crush of people between them. If he could just tell what they were saying - but Juno wasn't using his microphone, and the crowd was too dense to read their lips.

Buddy's voice crackled over their comms and brought Peter back to focus (deep breath and a practiced smile). '_Bartrand, dear, I think you should check up on your date. Cerys needs a refresher on what exactly teamwork entails.'_

Jet pardoned himself from the group he was chatting with to wade towards his "spouse". Big as he was, Peter could track his progress out the corner of his eye while turning back to the barons he was meant to be charming. He was too professional to risk a direct peek.

_'Cerys, my darling.' Jet rumbled._

_'Oh shi- Hey uh, dear...'_

Peter hid a chuckle behind his hand. Juno's voice in his ear both soothed him and wound his anxiety tighter. The detective introduced his new companions to Jet with an audible smile and some ribald comments from Strong's fiancee about his size. And from the snippets of conversation Peter caught, the only code-word meant "all good, keep going".  
He forced himself to relax back in his seat and nod along to the conversation in front of him _(Now Jet wasn't letting them hear this either? For crying out loud...)_

Peter counted the time in drinks his marks went through, ice melting in his own. Until, finally,

_'Well?'_

_'He is talking with an old friend, Buddy. I do not wish to interrupt him. I personally have never seen Juno smile like this before.'_

_Buddy sighed. 'Alright. Everyone keep on how you were. Gaston, dear, un-clench. You have people to sweet talk.'_

Peter was far too practiced to react to the barb. But if Buddy could see how tense he was, he was slipping.

So he changed tactics. He turned to the barons, to suggest moving their little circle so a less stuffy location. When a sound like a gunshot went off behind him. A dozen drunken voices screamed, the comm in his ear screamed feedback too, but when Peter turned to look it was just someone with an overflowing champagne bottle, carelessly stolen from a waiter.

He guffawed about the clumsy oaf with the man next to him, subtly adjusting the comms just in time to hear -

_'How about we go someplace quieter?'_

Peter's glass shattered in his grip.

He excused himself and moved to clean up. And he couldn't keep from searching through the crowd. Calmly, of course.

But all he saw was Juno leading Miss Strong and her fiancee _(shaking, clinging to Strong, collapsing in as she was held up. Right, military veterans and a P.O.W. in a loud event. Perhaps the worst environment for P.T.S.D.)_ out of the ballroom to where Aurinkos crew knew the quiet hallways would be. And Peter's jealousy _(he could admit that)_ tempered, somewhat. A small somewhat. Replaced by warmth, admiration for Juno's heart.

_'Gaston, dear. Your companions are getting lonely.'_

Peter sighed dramatically. "Don't you have your own marks to woo instead of babysitting me?"

_'I'm ahead of schedule dear.'_

*

It was almost another hour before Juno re-entered the ballroom. Juno went to Jet first, who greeted the detective with an in character kiss. Though Jet's acting left something to be desired, truly. Then Juno caught Peter's eye through the crowd and, and the whole world stopped. The detective looked stunning, of course, but that golden eye kept catching the same light as the gold threads in his gown and it gave him an ethereal glow. It made him look _divine_.

Peter knew, _he knew_ the eye was by far the most mundane body modification at this gala. Someone had a live fish in their glass arm, for stars sake.

But the part of him that would not be silent insisted Juno looked _too_ gorgeous. That his simplicity lent an elegance to his natural gruff charm, and really it was a miscalculation on Buddy's part that would be their downfall. How would they slip into the night, when everyone was _bound_ to remember the goddess among them? In a room full of caricatured peacocks, the one true beauty stood out like the sun itself.

In his distraction he missed what his latest companion had him agree to. And when Peter realized, he was already being dragged by the Marchioness to meet the "lady who'd caught your eye. Dear friends, both of them."

_(False of course, they'd only existed a week. The rich were so eager to lie for you, it really was too easy.)_

Almost as soon as she'd introduced 'Gaston' to a bemused 'Bartrand and Cerys', she swept off again, stealing Jet with her. Man was three times her size but unable to resist her iron grip.

Juno chuckled. "Think I should be worried she keeps tryna steal my date?"

"Perhaps you should be." Peter pulled on his most practiced polite smile. "How was your old friend, Cerys dear?

Juno exhaled hard. "I dunno if she'd go that far."

"It certainly seemed like you were enjoying yourself."

"Y-yeah, it was alright." His gruff edges softened. "Really nice, actually."

Peter cleared his throat. "Well, shall we get back to the party?"

Juno didn't even hear him. Just gnawed at his lip and stared into the crowd. After Strong.

Peter felt...it wasn't a good feeling. He needed a drink, or fresh air or a dark closet somewhere, just a moment to -

"Do you wanna dance?"

Peter's gaze snapped back. Juno wasn't even looking at him, still focused in front of them. On the dance floor.

"With...me, I-I mean." A muscle clenched in Juno's jaw. He glanced at Peter, gold and azure eyes flashing like jewels. Peter was caught in that light, how it winked at the gold in his ears and the threads at his throat, how it flickered over his face.

The goddess swallowed and looked away. He mumbled "Right, just...forget I asked," and Peter realized with a start that _he hadn't said anything._

Before Peter could even hope to respond Rita was in their ears, saying that the targets were in place and Buddy was telling them to go go go, and Juno was turning away from him and faster than he was even thinking Peter's hand shot out and took the detective's in his.

"Rain check on that dance?"

Juno blinked. "Oh. Okay." He looked a little dazed.

"I'll hold you to that," Peter breathed, stepping into Juno's space.

_'Now, kiddos.'_

The detective left him with a smile so soft, Peter had trouble thinking of much else the rest of the evening.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Yes i wrote this based off my own art piece don't @ me. The gold eye is hot
> 
> https://seratlantisite.tumblr.com/post/183551865864/a-detective-and-a-lady
> 
> Update: i stg ive had this sitting in my drafts since soul of the people, hearing man in glass blew my damn mind. Im fucking psychic


	2. Peter scoffs

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Juno Says His Piece

Peter scoffed, "Oh same old Juno Steel. You never change, do you."

"Fuck. You."

The look on junos face, revulsion and anger and...fear. Peter would not bend. 

And neither would Juno.

"Y-you dont get to - for the first time in twenty goddamn years i actually care, about what happens to me. About putting myself anywhere but the bottom of the list. About how I hurt the people around me. I have fucking changed i fought hard for every bloody goddamn inch of it. You don't ever have to listen to me but you don't get to just throw that away from me."

Peter watched on, still as the void. A statue of condemnation. Juno was _shaking_ with this confession.

"You weren't there to see that and that's my fault for throwing us away but at the time it was the nicest end we would have had. If i didnt get you killed then-then i would have pulled something and you would have finally hated me like everyone else ever has and that. That would have been the end of me. Because you meant so much more to me."

A false start, voice caught in his throat. He collapsed in the chair, head in his hands. Free of his gaze Peter started to crack.

"Leaving, while you still loved me. Felt like the best ending we were ever going to have. I dont know if i was too cowardly or just too... After those goddamn weeks in that fucking tomb, i-i couldnt...

"I was lightyears past running on empty but you were still so..."

A sob. In the still air its source is lost.

"I look back and i know, i Know i messed up but i still dont know how i could have fixed it o-or done it better. Because i needed all of that and im so so sorry i met you first. You didn't deserve me."

Juno stays still, hiding, in supplication.

Impossibly quiet footsteps and the woosh of the door are his answer.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A few of these lines have been rattling around my head for months. You ever just get emo at 4 am?


End file.
